Chapter about Water Quality Monitoring (for teachers)

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Water Quality Monitoring

W

hether using simple, inexpensive

field test kits, or more expensive

probes and meters, your students

can gather data about water quality that will help them learn a tremendous amount about the rivers, streams, bays, and other water bodies that they see everyday. Students can use monitoring equipment and apply scientific process skills as they gather data about many parameters of water quality. By assessing the water quality in a local water body, students will better understand how human activities are affecting this resource, and how we can protect water quality in the future.

Water Pollution – Any physical, chemical, or biological change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses. Pollutants may be biodegradable, non-biodegradable, or slowly degradable. Sewage, industrial chemicals, heavy metals from industrial processes, and household cleaners are examples of materials commonly discharged into streams and rivers. Additional water pollutants include chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, motor oil, litter, and other components of polluted runoff. Water can also be polluted by pollutants that come from the air – a process called atmospheric deposition.

Freshwater and saltwater ecosystems are complex and interactive physical, chemical,

to dissolve a wide variety of compounds.

and biological systems. Human activities cause

Water’s superiority as a solvent plays a key

changes in these attributes, and thus affect

role in carrying dissolved nutrients into the

living resources over time. In this chapter,

cells of living organisms, and removing cellular

we will discuss some of the physical, chemical,

waste. But it also means that water is easily

and biological parameters of water that can

polluted by water-soluble materials.

be monitored by students in middle and high school. We will also introduce some of the excellent programs, such as GLOBE, which offer teachers extensive support, and students the opportunity to participate in national and international environmental science investigations.

P URE WATER

IN

N ATURE ?

Finding pure water – that is, water with no impurities – is very unlikely in nature. One of liquid water’s unique properties is its ability

WAT E R Q U A L I T Y M O N I T O R I N G 5 / 7

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H UMAN A CTIVITIES P OLLUTION

AND

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WATER

Human activities can modify water quality in two ways. First, water quality is changed when we add pollutants, including: • sediment from erosion; • nutrients from fertilizer and animal waste; • heat from paved surfaces and industrial processes; • fecal bacteria from sewage, farm animals, pets;

by preventing sediment from reaching streams. Wetlands also promote the decomposition of some toxic substances and waste. Healthy riparian (streamside) areas also help naturally purify water. As long as streams and rivers are not overloaded with wastes, they can use their natural recovery processes of dilution and bacterial decay. But slowly degradable and nondegradable pollutants, like mercury, PCBs, and some pesticides, cannot be eliminated by these natural processes. Mercury cannot ever be degraded, even over thousands of years. Virginia's Department of Health advises people to restrict or avoid eating fish from some rivers

• industrial chemicals;

in Virginia due to mercury and PCB pollution.

• heavy metals (includes lead, mercury, and

For a current list of these advisories, see

cadmium from industrial sources, mining,

www.vdh.state.va.us/HHControl/fishing_

and smelting);

advisories.htm.

• household cleaners; • oil and gasoline; • litter and debris; • chemicals from the air; and • pesticides. The second way we impact water quality is by changing ecological processes that naturally purify water. Healthy aquatic ecosystems (wetlands, streams, bays, and oceans) all have natural processes that purify water of wastes. For example, microorganisms decompose organic wastes into nutrients that can be absorbed by plants. Wetlands act as natural filtering systems as they trap sediment, there-

FACTORS R ELATED

TO

WATER P OLLUTION

There are many factors related to water pollution, including the number of people living in a watershed, how the land is used (agriculture, forested, urbanized, etc.), and the everyday behavior of the population. Many things we do every day can have an impact on water quality. Human activities, such as urbanization, dam construction, forestry practices, agricultural development, and roadbuilding, have a profound effect on the quality of our water. When we fertilize our lawns, use pesticides, drive our cars, or use toxic chemicals we have the potential to add pollution to surface water and groundwater. Whether we make our living from mining,


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forestry, farming, or construction, we have

pollutants. In fact, according to the Alliance

the capacity to add nutrients, sediments,

for the Chesapeake Bay, it is estimated that

toxics, minerals, or acids to lakes and streams.

roughly a quarter of the nitrogen entering the

Every land-use decision we make can either

Chesapeake Bay is from air sources. While

improve water quality, or diminish it.

there are some natural sources of emissions, most of these air-borne pollutants come

Other pollutants enter water from

from fossil fuel burning, industrial processes,

atmospheric deposition – when pollutants

cars and other forms of transportation, and

in the air fall on the land or water. Nitrogen

fertilizer.

is one of the most common air deposition

WATER P OLLUTANTS , T HEIR I MPACTS ,

AND

A PPROPRIATE T EST M ETHODS

Common water pollutants can be placed in a few categories or classes. This table shows some of these pollutants, and tests that middle or high school students can conduct. More details about several key pollutants follow the chart.

Chemical and Physical Water Pollutants Category

Examples

Impacts on Water Quality

Test Methods for Middle or High School

Thermal pollution

Paved surfaces and roofs become hot, and transfer heat to rainwater. Water also absorbs heat when it is used to cool industrial and power plants.

Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen (DO) than cold water, so heated water lowers the DO in water bodies.

• Thermometers

Can kill organisms that require high levels of DO. Can disrupt spawning. Causes increased respiration rates and oxygen consumption in aquatic organisms, and makes them more vulnerable to disease, parasites, and toxic chemicals.

Sediment or suspended matter

Main source: soil eroded from the land. Insoluble particles of soil and other solids that become suspended in water.

Sediment can clog gills; settle out, destroying feeding and spawning grounds of aquatic animals; cloud water and reduce photosynthesis; carry pesticides, bacteria, and other harmful substances; and disrupt aquatic food webs.

• Computer or calculator probes • Macroinvertebrate populations as indicators • Test kits and probes are available that determine the concentrations of dissolved oxygen.

• Transparency tube • Turbidity test kits • Macroinvertebrate populations as indicators


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Chemical and Physical Water Pollutants Continued… Category

Examples

Impacts on Water Quality

Test Methods for Middle or High School

Plant nutrients (Water-soluble nitrates and phosphates)

Human sources:

1. Excessive growth of algae (“algae blooms” or “red tide”) and other aquatic plants. Bacteria decompose the algae when it dies, and can deplete water of dissolved oxygen. Low DO can kill or stress aquatic animals.

Chemical analysis test kits can determine the presence and concentrations of nitrate and phosphorus.

sewage treatment plants, fertilizer runoff, vehicle exhaust, atmospheric deposition, feedlot/farm manure, and eroded soil. Natural sources: soil, wild animal waste, decaying organic material, the atmosphere, and groundwater discharge. Pesticides.

Organic chemicals and water-soluble inorganic chemicals

2. Excessive levels of nitrate in drinking water lowers the oxygencarrying capacity of the blood; this can cause miscarriages and cause “blue baby syndrome” in infants less than one year of age. High levels of these chemicals can threaten human health and harm fish and other aquatic life.

K–12 students can do visual assessments, looking for oil spills, foam indicating detergents, and other visual clues. Macroinvertebrate populations serve as indicators of water quality.

Intentional and accidental litter. Sources: fast food consumption, smoking-related litter, illegal dumping (tires, refrigerators, etc.), fishing and other activities.

Ingestion and entanglement of wildlife.

Students can survey the litter and debris they find at a local beach or riverside area. See the Helping Clean Up a Waterway and A Scientific Cleanup lesson plans in this packet.

Nonnative species including plants (hydrilla, purple loosestrife, Eurasian water-milfoil) and animals (rapa whelks, mute swan, nutria).

Aquatic systems are disrupted by the deliberate or accidental introduction of nonnative species, as the nonnative species can crowd out native species, reduce biodiversity, and cause economic losses. The principal method of introduction into marine systems is through the intake and discharge of ballast from ships. Ballast water can contain microscopic organisms as well as the early life stages of larger plants and animals.

Gasoline and oil. Cleaning solvents. Detergents. Compounds of toxic metals, including mercury and lead. Many other chemicals.

Litter and debris

Genetic Pollution

Test kits and probes are available that determine the concentrations of dissolved oxygen.

Habitat destruction. Costs associated with cleanups. Economic impacts as people avoid visiting littered beaches, etc.

K–12 students can do visual assessments, looking for invasive nonnative plants and animals. See the Endangered Aquatic Species chapter for more information.

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C AN Y OUR C LASS M ONITOR WATER Q UALITY ? Yes it can! A school-based water quality monitoring program can be as simple or as complicated as you would like. Start simply using easy-to-use field test kits, such as those you can purchase from LaMotte, Hach, or Chemetrics (see Equipment and Technology appendix for ordering information). See the lesson “Evaluating A Stream” for several ideas – from an activity that can be done quickly on your school grounds with just a thermometer, to more extensive monitoring activities.

Some schools monitor benthic macroinvertebrates on a quarterly basis, while others monitor standard physical-chemical parameters once a month using field equipment (including hand-held technology whenever available). A stream, pond, or other water body on your school grounds would make a convenient monitoring site, plus one that is relevant to the students. Water monitoring will teach students about the health of the water at your monitoring site, plus they can learn to use observation, hypothesizing, data collection, data analysis, and communication through graphical representation (graphs, charts, and diagrams).

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER MONITORING Once you decide to start a water monitoring program in your school, you will find you have many questions. When should you monitor? How do you use the equipment? Luckily, all the answers you are looking for can be found through educational programs (including GLOBE) and through publications on the Internet. We've listed a few resources here but for a more complete list, see the Resources appendix, as well as the Water SOL and Other Curriculum Materials appendix.

A goal of GLOBE is to provide students an opportunity to learn by taking scientifically valid measurements in the fields of atmosphere, hydrology, soils, and land cover/phenology. Students can report their data through the Internet, create maps and graphs on the free interactive web site to analyze data sets, and collaborate with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world. See the GLOBE web site for a list of upcoming GLOBE workshops for teachers.

Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education

The GLOBE Program

Web site: www.ciese.org/currichome.html

Web site: www.globe.gov

CIESE (located at Stevens Institute of Technology) sponsors and designs interdisciplinary projects that teachers can use to enhance their curriculum through use of the Internet. Each project supports

GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program. GLOBE provides assistance to teachers through training at professional development workshops, teacher's guides (available on the GLOBE web site), videos, and other materials.

the National Science Education Standards. Two of the CIESE projects, The Global Water Sampling Project and Take a Dip, have students compare continued on next page


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If you are interested in a sustained monitoring project, and sharing data with schools and scientists around the world, you can receive training from GLOBE, a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program. (See box on this page for more information.)

Answers to Your Questions about Water Monitoring Continued… the water quality of their local river, stream, lake, or pond with other freshwater sources around the world. Step-by-step instructions for measuring temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, macroinvertebrates, and other parameters are provided on their web site, as well as background information on the parameters.

GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) Web site: www.green.org This program provides youth with educational opportunities to understand, improve, and sustain the water resources in their communities. The GREEN web site includes test procedures, sample data sheets, and many other teacher resources. Also, from their web site, you can order chemical (and biological) monitoring equipment, field test kits, and manuals for students and educators.

K EY I NDICATORS

OF

WATER Q UALITY

Let’s look at the key indicators of water quality. These are the parameters that you will most likely want to have your class monitor. For detailed step-by-step instructions on monitoring these parameters, consult the instructions that come with your test kits and

classroom lessons with test kit extensions that can be used to prepare students to conduct meaningful field investigations. Healthy Water, Healthy People materials can be ordered online by anyone interested in teaching about water quality.

U.S. EPA Manuals Web site: www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/vol.html The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fact sheets about the process of starting a monitoring program, and several methods manuals that will walk you through the steps. Manuals have been developed for stream monitoring, as well as for estuaries, lakes, and wetlands. You can select the chapters that interest you, and print them from the EPA web site. These publications are packed with protocols, practical hints, and instructions for making some of your own equipment.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Citizen Monitoring Program Web site: www.deq.state.va.us/cmonitor

HEALTHY WATER, HEALTHY PEOPLE Web site:www.healthywater.org This water quality education program is sponsored by Project WET (www.projectwet.org) and the Hach Scientific Foundation. The program offers hands-on activity guides, testing kits, networking/training opportunities and extensive online resources. The activity guide features

Virginia actively encourages citizens to monitor water quality, and has many resources that will assist you in getting started. Many answers on how to monitor can be found in the Virginia Citizen Monitoring Methods Manual, located at the above web site.


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analyzing instruments. Also, many resources

in pH or long-term acidification of a water

can be found on the Internet that will provide

body are exceedingly harmful. The pH of

more in-depth information on these parame-

water can affect the pH of an organism’s

ters. See the box Answers to Your Questions

body fluids, can affect the speed of chemical

about Water Monitoring for web addresses.

reactions within the body, and can impact

Water Temperature

biological activities including photosynthesis, respiration, and reproduction. For example,

Water temperature has a large influence

the colorful brook trout, found in many of

on the organisms living in the water, as it

Virginia's streams, will experience inhibited

influences biological activity and chemical

reproduction if the pH falls below 5, and adult

processes. For example, water temperature

brook trout will die when the pH is below 4.5.

influences the rate of plant photosynthesis, the timing of reproduction and migration, and the metabolic rates of aquatic organisms. Also, as the temperature of water increases, the capacity of water to hold dissolved oxygen (DO) becomes lower. Colder water will have a higher DO level than warmer water.

Some of the factors that determine the pH of water are bacterial activity, photosynthesis and respiration, water turbulence, humanmade wastes, acid precipitation, chemicals found in runoff, and accidental spills. Normal pH in most of Virginia’s surface waters is 6.0 to 8.0, although some swamps in Virginia are

Runoff from paved roads, parking lots,

naturally lower. In Virginia’s mountains, many

rooftops, and other similar impervious

streams have low natural buffering capacity,

surfaces can increase water temperature,

and have been affected by acid rain. Acid

and reduce the diversity of aquatic life.

precipitation in Virginia has been measured

Measuring temperature: Thermometers or probes can be used by students to measure water temperature.

at 4.5 and lower (National Atmospheric Deposition Program (http://nadp.sws.uiuc. edu). This acidic precipitation has negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, mostly in

pH

Virginia’s mountainous areas due to low acid

pH is a measure of how acidic or basic

neutralization capacity associated with the

(alkaline) a solution is. The pH of water is

bedrock type, thin soil cover, and topography.

critical to the survival of most aquatic plants

Measuring pH: Several easy-to-use probes

and animals. For example, if water becomes

and test kits are available for testing the pH of

too acidic, the eggs of some species of frogs

water. Note: Test paper strips to obtain pH are

will not develop. Most organisms are highly

not suitable for use in salt water, as they will

susceptible to changes in the pH of their

not provide consistent measurements. Schools

surroundings or water supply, so fluctuations

in the coastal plain should use probes or test kits.


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Transparency

record the depth at which it just disappears

Even unpolluted water can have suspended

from view. For shallow water, as found in a

particles, such as soil particles, tiny floating

stream, use a transparency tube to measure

organisms, or fragments of dead plants.

the water's transparency. (Note: Transparency

Natural runoff, wave action, and turbulent

tubes are sometimes referred to as turbidity

water can cause short periods of turbid, or

tubes.) Both of these are easy to use, inex-

unclear, water. Short-term turbidity, however,

pensive to purchase or make, and consistently

doesn't have the negative impacts that are

accurate. Instructions for making Secchi

associated with long-term turbidity. Human

disks and turbidity tubes can be found in the

activities, including runoff from construction

GLOBE hydrology protocols. Turbidity can

sites, urban areas, and agricultural fields,

also be measured with a turbidity field kit, or

can contribute to high turbidity that can

turbidity meter.

lasts for long periods. Heavy boat traffic and recreational personal watercraft can also stir up sediment and increase erosion from riverbanks. High levels of turbidity over long periods of time can greatly diminish the health and productivity of aquatic ecosystems. Suspended particles can clog gills of fish and other aquatic animals. Many animals living in water feed by filtering the water, and their filter-feeding system can become impaired when suspended material is in the water in large quantities. Turbid water also reduces photosynthesis in submerged aquatic plants, as light cannot penetrate as far into the water. When the suspended particles settle out, they can cover the feeding and spawning grounds of aquatic animals, thereby destroying critical habitat.

Nutrients Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, that occur naturally in water, soil, and air, are essential to aquatic plants and animals, just as they are to agricultural crops, garden plants, and terrestrial animals. For example, nitrogen is used to synthesize protein in plants and animals, and phosphorus is critical in the process of photosynthesis. Both are essential to cellular growth and reproduction. In addition to natural sources, human activities contribute nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay and other water bodies. Human sources include point and nonpoint source discharges including effluent from wastewater treatment plants, urban stormwater runoff, lawn and agricultural fertilizer runoff, industrial discharges, livestock wastes, and failing

Measuring the transparency of water: Secchi

septic systems. Another important source

disks (a weighted black and white patterned

is atmospheric deposition from burning

disks on a measured rope) are widely used

fossil fuels.

to measure the transparency of deep water. Students should lower a Secchi disk into the water on the shady side of a boat or dock, and

Excessive concentrations of nutrients can cause great harm to the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay.


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Depending on their chemical forms, nitrogen

Unpolluted water normally has less than 1

and phosphorus can have significant direct or

part per million (ppm) of nitrate and less than

indirect impacts on plant growth, water clarity,

0.03 ppm of phosphorus. The drinking water

sedimentation rates, and dissolved oxygen

standard for nitrate nitrogen is 10 ppm.

concentrations. As Virginia’s population has

Nitrates in large amounts can cause “blue

grown, and land use in Virginia has changed

baby syndrome” (methemoglobinemia) in

from forests and wetlands to farms, urban

infants. See the Nitrates in Well Water

areas, and suburbs, we have seen a tremen-

lesson for more details.

dous increase in the amount of nutrients in our surface waters, including the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, the main cause of the Bay’s poor water quality and aquatic habitat loss is elevated levels of nutrients. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Excess amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen cause rapid growth of phytoplankton, creating dense populations, or blooms. These blooms become so dense that they reduce the amount of sunlight available to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Without sufficient light, plants cannot photosynthesize and produce the food they need to survive. The loss of sunlight can kill the grasses. Algae may also grow directly on the surface of SAV. Unconsumed algae will ultimately sink and be decomposed by bacteria in a process that depletes bottom waters of oxygen. Like humans, most aquatic species require oxygen. When oxygen in deep water is depleted, fish and other species will die unless they move to other areas of suitable habitat.” Measuring nutrients in water: Field test kits can be used to measure the concentrations of nitrates and phosphorus in a water body. Most kits rely on a color comparison in which the student matches the color of a prepared water sample to a set of provided standards.

NUTRIENT CONTROL STRATEGIES Here are some of the strategies to decrease the amount of nutrients entering our streams, rivers and bays:

Phosphate Detergent Bans Virginia instituted a ban on phosphate detergent in 1988, joining other states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that took similar steps to decrease the amount of phosphorus entering the Bay. Upgrades to Wastewater Treatment Plants Driven by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (also known as the Clean Water Act) and the Water Quality Act of 1987, state and local governments have increasingly built and upgraded wastewater treatment plants to decrease this source of nutrients into streams. They are also investigating more effective technologies to increase nutrient removal. The Implementation of Best Management Practices Best management practices (BMPs) are techniques of working the land that minimize the impacts of disturbance and thus conserve soil and water resources. BMPs are designed to minimize surface runoff of nutrients and suspended material reaching streams from sources such as highways, construction sites, farms, and urban areas.


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Dissolved Oxygen

DO before it is 100% saturated. Salinity of

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is important to the

water will also affect DO levels, as freshwater

health of aquatic ecosystems, as all aquatic

can hold more DO than saltwater.

animals need oxygen for respiration. It is one

Measuring dissolved oxygen: Dissolved oxygen

of the best indicators of the water’s health.

field test kits that measure DO to the nearest

Water bodies with high levels of DO are most

two tenths of a part per million (ppm) cost

likely healthy, and are capable of supporting

$30 to $90, and rely on the Winkler titration

a diversity of organisms. Oxygen enters water

method. These tests usually involve more

through aquatic plant photosynthesis and

steps than the test kits for pH and nutrients,

from the atmosphere. A riffle in a stream,

and have five chemicals that are added to the

where the water flows over rocks with turbu-

water sample in a prescribed order. Simplified

lence, will boost the amount of oxygen in the

test kits that measure DO at 0, 4 and 8 ppm

water by putting more water in contact with

also exist for younger children. DO meters

the atmosphere. Currents and wind-generated

or probes are expensive and need careful

waves will also increase the DO.

maintenance. For these reasons, most water

DO levels can be decreased by thermal pollu-

monitoring programs use the field test kits.

tion, and some pollutants like high levels of

If you wish to measure DO percent saturation,

bacteria from sewage, or the rotting of plants.

a thermometer or temperature probe will also

Oxygen is needed to aid in decomposition

be needed.

of organic matter. This is why an algae bloom, caused by excessive nutrients, can lead to decreased DO. Decomposition of large quantities of organic matter by bacteria can severely

Salinity Schools near the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, or tidal streams should

deplete the water of oxygen and make it uninhabitable for many species. Removing streamside trees that shade the water will also cause the water to increase in temperature, and therefore will decrease the amount of DO the water can hold. In addition to measuring DO, another important measurement is “DO percent saturation.” Cold water can hold more DO than heated water. For example, freshwater at 8ºC can hold up to 12 parts per million (ppm) of oxygen before it is 100% saturated. At 28ºC, freshwater can hold only 8 ppm of


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consider adding salinity (the amount of

tration with a field test kit). The GLOBE

dissolved salts in water) to their school’s water

program recommends the use of hydrometers

monitoring program. Salinity measurements

to measure the density of water. The density of

can be used to track the impacts of storm

water is related to the amount of salt dissolved

water runoff as well as the impact of drought.

in it, and a hydrometer measures this density,

Salinity levels control, to a large degree, the

or specific gravity. Using the reading on the

types of plants and animals that can live in

hydrometer along with the temperature of

the water. Some species tolerate only fresh

the water, students will use a chart to deter-

water (salinity of 1.0 part per thousand or

mine the water’s salinity. Full instructions

less), others tolerate only brackish water

can be found on the GLOBE web site, in

(intermediate levels of salinity), while others

the EPA’s Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A

are adapted to live only in seawater where

Methods Manual, or from the hydrometer’s

salinity levels are 30.0 ppt. To learn more

manufacturer.

about salinity and its importance in an estuary such as the Chesapeake Bay, see chapter 14 of the EPA’s Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual, available on-line at www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/monitor.

M ONITORING L IVING O RGANISMS Biological assessments are evaluations of the condition of water bodies using surveys and other direct measurements of resident

Measuring salinity: Salinity can be measured

biological organisms (macroinvertebrates, fish,

either by physical methods (conductivity,

and plants). Biological assessment results

density or refractivity), or by chemical

are used to answer the question of whether

methods (measuring the chloride concen-

water bodies support survival and reproduction of desirable fish, shellfish, and other aquatic species. Key living ecological indicators of water quality that middle school or high school students can help monitor include benthic macroinvertebrates, submerged aquatic vegetation, and streamside forests (riparian buffers). Benthic Macroinvertebrates Benthic macroinvertebrates are bottom dwelling organisms that live in, crawl upon, or attach themselves to the bottom (or substrate) of a water body. They include the larvae of many insect species, including dragonflies,

How to read a hydrometer


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damselflies, mayflies, stoneflies, water beetles,

SOS’ goal is to ensure that future generations

and true bugs. Other macroinvertebrates

inherit restored and protected streams, rivers,

include crustaceans (i.e., crayfish, shrimp, sow

and estuaries across Virginia. While training

bugs and sideswimmers) and non-arthropods

volunteers to conduct water quality monitoring

(i.e., flatworms, aquatic earthworms, snails,

is their priority activity, they also work with

mussels, and clams).

schools and teachers.

Students can learn many things by looking

Monitoring macroinvertebrates: The methods for

at the macroinvertebrates living in a stream.

collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates

According to the Virginia Save Our Streams

can be learned at a workshop offered by

(SOS) program:

the Virginia SOS program. See their web

“Because many macroinvertebrates live in

site (www.sosva.com) for information or call

the stream year-round and sometimes over

540-377-6179. As an alternative, teachers can

multiple years, their presence or absence

learn if there is a group in the area that has

provides valuable information about a river’s

trained monitors willing to assist your class

health over time.”

with identification of these aquatic animals.

Virginia SOS leads the way in teaching about water quality monitoring by using aquatic invertebrates as indicators. Volunteers who have been trained in the SOS method collect the insect larvae and other “critters” that live in a stream, then determine the quality of the water based on the animals that live there.

The Virginia SOS web site has instructions on how to collect and identify macroinvertebrates, plus downloadable data sheets and “Bug ID cards”. In addition, this site has information on habitat assessment, tips on where to monitor, and information on how to schedule a training or demonstration session. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In the shallow water of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, where sunlight penetrates the water to the bottom, aquatic plants often grow. Known as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) or seagrasses, these plants are rooted vascular plants that grow up to the water surface but not above it (although a few species have flowers or tufts that may stick a few centimeters above the surface). According to the U.S. EPA (Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual):


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“The plants are important components of estuarine systems, providing shelter, habitat, and a food source for many organisms. They also benefit estuarine species indirectly by helping to maintain the viability of the ecosystem. Their photosynthesis adds dissolved oxygen to the water, and their leaves and roots help stabilize the shoreline against erosion. The plants also absorb nutrients, which can be major estuarine pollutants.” Like terrestrial habitats, beds of SAV have been diminished over the years due to human activities. By monitoring the occurrence of SAV beds and the changes in their distribution, density, and species composition, students can help determine the health and status of SAV. The Chesapeake 2000 agreement has a goal

FUNDING YOUR WATER MONITORING PROJECT Funding sources are listed in the Grant and Other Support appendix. As you create your budget, be sure to include money for: • Monitoring equipment such as test kits, Secchi disks, water samplers, thermometers, and a bin to keep all equipment in. • Chemicals (reagents) for test kits. (Most test kits come with enough chemicals to conduct 30 or 50 tests. After those chemicals are used, you will need to purchase replacement chemicals, but not replace the entire test kit.) • Funds for teacher workshops as some organizations charge a fee to cover the expenses associated with a workshop. • Travel associated with teacher workshops and class field trips.

to protect and restore more than 110,000 acres of SAV beds in the Bay. To learn more about SAV, refer to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (www.vims.edu/bio/sav/ aboutsav.html). The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org) has a “Guide to Underwater Grasses” and a program called SAVing SAV that helps schools plant tidal or non-tidal wetlands. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay also has SAV monitoring and restoration programs. Streamside Plants (Riparian Forests or Buffers) Streamside forests and wetlands are vital habitats, supporting living resource abundance by providing key food and habitat

for a variety of species. They also protect water quality by naturally processing pollutants before they enter the water. Students can observe the habitat found along streams in your area using a habitat field sheet, as found on the Virginia SOS web site (www.sosva. com). The lessons Restoring a Stream and Observing a Stream also have information on the benefits of riparian buffers. Other living indicators Many animal and plant species play significant roles in the water quality of Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Programs have been created that help students and


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interested citizens monitor different plant and animal communities. In addition to monitoring

WATER MONITORING EQUIPMENT

macroinvertebrates and SAV, you can monitor

Vendors of field test kits, probes, meters, water samplers, and other water quality monitoring equipment are listed in the Equipment and Technology appendix. It is also possible to make some equipment yourself if budgets are tight. For example, Secchi disks (used to measure water transparency) can be made inexpensively. See the GLOBE hydrology protocols (www.globe.gov) or Chapter 15 of the U.S. EPA Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual for details: www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/monitor.

birds or amphibians (salamanders and frogs). The National Zoo offers teacher workshops, often in Winchester, Virginia. Past workshops have included Amphibian Monitoring Methods, Bird Identification and Monitoring Techniques, and Forest Biodiversity Monitoring. For upcoming workshops, see their web site: www.nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/Teacher Workshops. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) also offers WildlifeMapping – an outreach program that allows school children, citizens, community groups, and

R ESOURCES For the teacher...

other organizations to collect wildlife-related

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

information that will be available to everyone.

www.acb-online.org

The program provides an opportunity for students and volunteers to perform field studies that contribute to the state’s biological databases. Learn more at the DGIF web site:

Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). www.ciese. org/currichome.html

www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlifemapping or

Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Virginia Tech’s Institute for Connecting

www.cbf.org

Science Research to the Classroom www. icsrc.org/TILT/Wildlife/wildlife.html Monitoring the water quality of your nearby stream, river, lake, or bay can be simple or

GLOBE. www.globe.gov GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network). www.green.org

complex, as your time and budget allow. But

Healthy Water, Healthy People.

even the simplest exercise in monitoring water

www.healthywater.org

quality will teach your students a great deal about our water resources, how they are dynamic yet fragile, and how they need our stewardship.

How Healthy is Our Water? www. knowledge.state.va.us/cgi-bin/lesview. cgi?idl=855


HOW HEALTHY

ARE OUR

W AT E R WAY S ?

National Atmospheric Deposition Program.

Citizen Monitoring Program. www.deq.state.

http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu

va.us/cmonitor

The National Zoo offers teacher workshops,

Virginia Department of Health: Fishing

often in Winchester, Virginia. Past workshops

Advisories. www.vdh.state.va.us/HHControl

have included Amphibian Monitoring Methods,

/fishing_advisories.htm

Bird Identification and Monitoring Techniques, and Forest Biodiversity Monitoring. www. nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/Teacher Workshops U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Manuals for water monitoring: Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual. www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/ volunteer/stream Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual. www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/ monitor

Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV). www.vims.edu/bio/sav/aboutsav.html Virginia Institute for Marine Sciences – Ocean Sciences Teacher Resource Center. www.vims. edu/bridge The Volunteer Monitor: The National Newsletter of Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring. This newsletter, available on-line, facilitates the exchange of ideas, monitoring methods, and practical advice among volunteer envir-

Volunteer Lake Monitoring: A Methods Manual.

onmental monitoring groups across the

www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/lakevm.html

nation. The Spring 1993 issue (www.epa.gov/

Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring: A Methods

volunteer/spring93/index.html) is devoted

Manual. www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/

to school-based programs and contains

monitor/volmonitor.html

an excellent collection of articles written by teachers. www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/

U.S. Geological Survey web site about

volunteer/vm_index.html

Monitoring Nutrients in the Major Rivers Draining to Chesapeake Bay. http://va.water. usgs.gov/online_pubs/WRIR/99-4238/994238.html

For the student... Water Quality Report for Kids (What’s Up with our Nation’s Waters?

Virginia Department of Conservation

Booklet, designed primarily for middle-school-

and Recreation

aged youth, presents key findings of the EPA’s

Simple things we can all do to protect our

National Water Quality Report and includes

water resources. www.dcr.state.va.us/

projects for school or fun, a glossary, and

sw/varivers.htm

resources for more information. www.epa.gov

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality,

/owow/monitoring/reporting.html

